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Lot 193A
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Papua New Guinea Sepik River Dog-Tooth Necklace - Plaited Fiber Cord
Papua New Guinea Sepik River Dog-Tooth Necklace - Plaited Fiber Cord
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Oceania, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River region, ca. 1900–1970 CE. A choker-length band of hand-plaited bast fiber bristling with rows of canine teeth, their enamel crowns burnished to a warm ivory by handling and age. Slender dog canines alternate with a broader molar, each tooth anchored into the twined cordage so that the points face outward in a serrated, defensive rhythm. Along the Sepik River, dog teeth carried real currency: prized for both ornament and exchange, they signaled the wearer's standing, wealth, and prowess. Such necklaces were worn at dances and ceremonial gatherings, where the accumulation of teeth advertised a man's success in hunting or trade. The economy of means here, fiber, tooth, and knot, belies the labor of collection, for each canine represents a separate animal and a separate transaction in a society where adornment and value were inseparable. Size of largest tooth: 1.5" L x 0.3" W (3.8 cm L x 0.8 cm W); of necklace: 22.4" L (56.9 cm L).

Among the peoples of the Sepik, dog teeth functioned as a recognized medium of exchange well into the twentieth century, strung in lengths and traded much like shell valuables elsewhere in Melanesia. Their worth lay partly in scarcity: a single dog yields only four canines, so a fully strung ornament such as this aggregates the teeth of many animals, a tangible ledger of accumulated wealth and social obligation. Worn at feasts and initiation rites, these adornments mediated relationships as much as they decorated the body.

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA

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Item # 152146

  • Condition: Good. Some chips, nicks, and small losses to teeth as well as fraying to strand. Rich patina to strand and teeth. Otherwise, very nice and wearable.

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by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000